The Race
by Denisea
Summary: Sequel to "Before the Pony" and written waaaay back towards the beginning of Season Two. Explains how Lou got her horse and how she learned to ride. When Lou sees a familiar face while out on a run, she panics. Meanwhile, Kid signs his horse up for a race and wants Lou to ride Katie for him. Includes some actual historical references, and nobody gets shot.


Author's Note: To those of you who like my other Young Rider stories, I hope you like this one, too. It's a bit lighter than my usual fare. Nobody gets shot or seriously injured, at least.

In part, it was written "back when" in protest of an episode that had a "Founder's Day Race" that one of the riders needed to win in order for the televised story to work. Well, all the other riders had an excuse not to win (saving babies along the race route, whatever) EXCEPT for Lou. EXCUSE me? Didn't they establish in the pilot episode that she was a gifted rider? ("Puny...but spry") She should have WON that race! Anyway, I finally got it from script to narrative form, and here it is for those of you who follow my Y/R fics.

I plan to re-use some of the ideas in this story in one of a series of novels that I'm writing called "Malley's Misfits," which I hope to someday publish. But in the meantime, I decided that there's no reason not to go ahead and publish it here on FanFiction in its original form as a Young Riders story.

I suppose that those of you who are familiar with my other Young Riders stories already know that I have a fascination with Lou, so it should come as no surprise that this is another 'Lou' story. Originally written about the same time as the others, it delves a little bit into her background, or at least the one _I_ created for her, and explains how she learned to ride horses, etc. It starts out a little slow, but I hope the historical connection makes up for that. Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) really _did_ travel west by stagecoach in 1861 (which he re-counts in his book "Roughing It," and which I admit I haven't actually read), really _did_ see a Pony Express rider, really did have that prophetic dream before his brother Henry's death, and really did predict his own death with the next coming of Halley's Comet. Otherwise, all conversations, etc., are purely fictitious. And for another tidbit of historical information related to this story, read the author's note at the end…

.

.

.

"The Race"

Chapter One

Like many way-stations along the Pony Express trail, this one also doubled as a stage-coach stop, and when the stagecoach pulled into the station, it disgorged its three road-weary passengers. Two were brothers, by name of Orion (the older, in his mid-thirties) and Sam (the younger by about a decade), who had been traveling hard from Missouri on their way to Nevada, planning to finish their journey in two weeks, or maybe a little over. The brothers were well-dressed, but in clothes a bit old for the latest fashion, indicating that they had at least been well-to-do once. The third passenger was a handsome man about the same age as the older brother, but dressed in comfortable clothes more suited to the trail. He was, as he told the brothers, on his way to buy horses from a man on the other side of Fort Laramie. All three had easy smiles, and they had struck up a casual friendship since meeting up at the last stop. It turned out that they were all from Missouri, though the brothers were from Hannibal and the other man was from a ranch outside a small town closer to St. Joseph.

The weather was bright and sunny, and the horses and coach had kicked up a lot of dust. All three men headed for the barrel of drinking water. The older brother reached it first, scooped a dipperful of water out and gulped it thirstily. He then refilled the dipper and poured the water over his head before handing the dipper to his younger brother, who repeated the process and handed the dipper to the third man. Unlike the brothers, the third man poured water over his kerchief, and then dunked the canteen he had brought with him into the barrel to refill it. The third man was obviously a seasoned traveler, unlike the brothers.

"Mighty rough ride, isn't it?" the older brother, Orion, commented.

"Oh, I've had worse," said the unrelated man.

The younger brother had an excitement that the hard bumps and trail dust could not suppress. The stage was following the same route as the Pony Express along this stretch, and he was anxious to see one of the famed Pony Express riders. "You think we'll actually get to see the Pony rider, Mr. Garrison?"

Rather than be annoyed at the younger man's persistently repeated questions, the man addressed was amused. "There ain't nothin' special about Pony riders, Mr. Clemens. They're just boys who are good on a horse, that's all."

"Aw, Hell, Mr. Garrison. 'Mr. Clemens' is my brother." He hit Orion on the arm and solicited an "Ow!" before turning back to the man he was addressing. "Please, call me 'Sam.'"

The man addressed as 'Mr. Garrison' laughed. "You may as well call me 'Charlie' then. Still in a hurry to get to Nevada after that last leg, Sam?"

"Oh, I don't mind roughin' it for a while," Sam said. "Kinda anxious to try my hand at silver minin'."

Orion clapped his brother on the shoulder and got another dipper of water. "And if that don't work out, you can join me in the Governor's office."

"No, thank you. I'd rather put my own words on paper than someone else's." He held up the journal book he had been jotting notes in whenever something along the trail had struck his fancy.

"You know," Orion commented. "You made a good wage piloting them riverboats."

"Yeah, tell that to Henry," Sam said with a meaningful look at Orion

"Henry?" Charlie Garrison asked curiously. This was the first either of the brothers had mentioned that name, and it seemed to have some significance to them.

"He was our other brother," Orion explained. "Younger."

"Killed when the _Pennsylvania_ exploded," Sam added. "You hear about that?"

Charlie Garrison searched his memory, then nodded. "Oh, yeah. The riverboat that sank in Tennessee, wasn't it?"

Sam nodded. "That's the one. I got him a job as a mud-clerk. I was a cub pilot, then, but didn't get along too well with the pilot, so I left. If I'd stayed, or if I hadn't talked him into working on the riverboat, well, maybe things would've turned out different."

Orion shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Sam. It just happened."

"No, it was the damn engineer. I _knew_ what kinda philanderer he was, an' I _still_ put Henry to work on that boat. I even _saw_ what would happen to Henry, in a dream, before it happened."

Orion nudged Garrison and said somewhat conspiratorially, "Sam, here, thinks that God was personally sendin' him some kinda message about Henry."

This piqued Garrison' curiosity. "Oh?" he asked with genuine interest, encouraging the brothers to say more.

The younger Clemens brother nodded vigorously. "I saw it. I saw Henry laid out in a metal coffin in our sister's sittin' room. A metal coffin! The coffin was sittin' on two chairs. An' Henry had a bunch of flowers on his chest. White ones, with a red rose in the middle. Well, when I heard the news about the explosion an' learned that he had died and that his body was taken to Pam's, I went there as fast as I could, an' sure enough, he was laid out just like my dream. Metal coffin. Two chairs. Everything exactly like I saw. How many people you know get buried in a metal coffin, Mr. Garrison? Excuse me, I mean, Charlie? Except Henry didn't have no flowers. But as I stood there just lookin' at him, some woman came in the sittin' room, and wouldn't you know she had a bouquet of white flowers with one red rose in the center, and she placed that right on top of Henry, and it was exactly like my dream."

Charlie Garrison' eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

Orion scoffed. "Not only that, but Sam, here, also thinks he knows when _he's_ gonna die."

Sam Clemens nodded. "I come in with the comet. I'm gonna leave with the comet."

"'The comet'?" Garrison asked.

"Halley's comet." Sam Clemens volunteered. "It came when I came into this world, an' it'll come again when I leave."

Garrison smiled. "Well, I guess that means you can do anything you want until then, doesn't it?"

A bit of humor returned to the younger man's eyes. "Well, maybe it does."

Orion blew out a mouthful of air. "All just Sam's imagination," he said.

"I don't know about that," Garrison replied. "Like Shakespeare said, 'there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreamt of in your philosophy.'"

"Huh?" Orion said, puzzled.

But Sam Clemens grinned. "Hamlet!"

Garrison seemed pleased. "Ah, a fellow member of the literati!" He glanced at the stagecoach. The horses had been changed, and the shotgun driver was climbing back on top. Garrison turned back to the water barrel for another quick drink before handing the dipper to the driver, who drank from it, dunked his canteen, and took off his neck kerchief to swish it in the water. The driver tied the wet kerchief back around his neck and looked at his passengers. "All right, folks! Let's load 'er back up!"

The brothers groaned, and Garrison suppressed a smile. All three started walking back to the wagon, but the sight of a saddled black horse being led out of the barn caught the attention of the younger Clemens brother. The dark horse had a large white star on its forehead. Clemens was fascinated, but Garrison barely noticed it.

"Is that the Pony Express rider's mount?" Sam Clemens asked the driver.

"That's it," the driver confirmed, holding his arm out behind his passenger in a gesture of rounding him up. "He ain't due for a while yet, but this rider's almost always ahead o' schedule."

"Will we get to see him change horses?"

"Not if _I_ can help it," the driver told him. "Let's _go_!"

As the brothers started to board the stage, with Charlie Garrison at the end of the line, Garrison gave a glance to the Pony Express mount, and something about the animal caught his attention. It wasn't just the well-toned muscles and perfect confirmation of a high-quality animal. It was the way the animal pawed the ground impatiently, the shape of the star on its forehead, the tickle of familiarity inside Garrison' head. For a moment, Garrison forgot all about the stage and his journey. For a moment, he was transported back in time, to his horse ranch in Missouri, where an animal that looked _exactly_ like this one lived, cared for by a girl who could out-ride any boy he'd ever seen, and he'd seen a lot.

"Lightning?" Garrison said to himself, taking a step toward the horse.

The stagecoach driver sighed with the exasperation of someone who was trying to herd cats or children, and moved to usher his wayward passenger back to the stage. "Come on, Mr. Garrison. The Pony rider may be a little ahead of schedule, but _we're_ running a little _behind._ We've got a long ride to the next stop, and I'd like to make it there before it gets dark_._"

Charlie Garrison blew out a puff of air and laughed at himself. He was imagining things, that was all. He allowed himself to be pulled back to the stagecoach, and climbed aboard without any further argument.

The driver climbed on top, clicked the horses into moving, and the next round of dust and bouncing began. Sam Clemens poked his head out the window to speak with the driver. "You'll be sure to tell us when you see the rider, won't you?"

The driver glanced at shot-gun rider and rolled his eyes. It seemed like almost every stagecoach rider along this stretch wanted one thing and one thing only, to see the Pony Express rider. "Sure thing, Mr. Clemens."

Sam Clemens pulled his head back inside the coach and settled down for the ride. He noticed that Charlie Garrison seemed preoccupied—staring out of the window vaguely. "Somethin' wrong, Charlie?" he asked.

Garrison recovered quickly and smiled. "No, nothin'. Just that the horse back there reminds me of another animal I used to know."

"What happened to it?" Sam Clemens asked.

Garrison gave a crooked smile. "Somebody took him."

"Horse-thief?" Orion Clemens asked.

"Somethin' like that," Garrison replied.

Sam Clemens was curious. "They hang horse-thieves out here, don't they?"

"That they do, Sam," Garrison replied. He gave the younger Clemens brother a smile, and settled back for the long ride ahead.

.

.

.

Harper's Ridge, Kid decided, was an awful lot like Sweetwater, only different. Both had their own general stores, saloons, fancy houses, liveries, and banks. The primary difference was that Harper's Ridge had a lumber store and Sweetwater didn't, which was the reason he was there. Teaspoon had decided that the way-station needed a new out-house and had sent Kid, Jimmy, and Cody to fetch the lumber to build it with the buckboard. Rather than share the hard bench with Jimmy and Cody, Kid had opted to ride Katie to Harper's Ridge. And now that the wagon was loaded up and ready to go, all he wanted was to go back to the station to supper and his bunk. He was tempted to ride Katie back and leave Jimmy and Cody, who were distracted by the sights of the town, especially the saloon and fancy-house girls.

Except that Teaspoon had specifically charged him with keeping Jimmy and Cody out of trouble.

Kid sighed. "We should be headin' back to the station, don't you think?" he said to the others. "Teaspoon told us not to dawdle."

"What's yer hurry?" Cody asked.

"Yeah. Teaspoon ain't here to know how long it takes us," Jimmy added.

Cody returned his gaze to the dance-hall girls, who were milling outside the saloon across the straight. The girls seemed to be trying to get the attention of a group of men who were clustered nearby, apparently trying to drum up some business. "Sometimes you just gotta stop an' smell the roses," he said with a crooked smile.

"Billy—" Kid admonished.

Cody grinned and pointed at a sleek-looking horse that was tied to the rail near the dance-hall girls and group of men. "Just lookin' at the horse, Kid."

Jimmy caught the annoyance in Kid's tone and couldn't resist egging Kid on. He pretended interest in the horse and started to cross the street for a closer look. "Hoo-ee, that _is_ a fine lookin' animal, ain't it. "

"Jimmy—" Kid said, exhasperated.

Cody looked at him with feigned innocence. "What's the matter, Kid? Let's go have a look." He followed Jimmy across the street.

"Billy—" Kid said again. He sighed, realizing that he had lost, then followed them. Cody and Jimmy approached the horse and examined it closely. Kid was just anxious to get home and wished they'd hurry up already.

Jimmy gave the horse a friendly pat. "He _is_ a beauty, ain't he."

"Looks like he'd be pretty fast," Cody said. "Maybe we should buy him for a Pony Express horse."

One of the nearby men with his back to the riders heard the remark and turned around. "You couldn't afford that horse, son. That there is a champion race-horse."

Kid barely glanced at the horse. His mind was still on getting back to the station. "Don't waste your time worryin' about it, Cody. Katie could lick him any day."

Cody glanced at Katie briefly. "Be interestin' to see, wouldn't it."

"No contest," Kid assured him.

The man's ears practically perked up. "That a fact?"

Kid shrugged. "My horse runs for the Pony Express. There's nothin' on four legs that she hasn't outrun yet."

The man squinted. "Well, that's nice, son, but I happen to think that Bullet here is the fastest horse alive." He nodded to the horse that was tied up on the rail.

Kid shrugged again. "You got a right to think what you like." He started to walk back towards the buckboard.

The man, whose name was Smith, followed him with his voice. " How would you like to find out?"

Kid was tempted, but a hot meal and his bunk were stronger pulls. "Well, thanks, Mister, but we're due back in Sweetwater. I don't have time to do any racin'."

"Oh, I don't mean _now_," Smith said. "But come Saturday the twenty-fourth, there's gonna be a race. If your horse is as good as you say she is, why not enter her?"

Kid was still tempted, but there were other matters of higher priority, like running the mail. "Well, thanks, but—"

Seeing that the fish is about to reject the bait, one of the other men, the shortest one in the group, turned around and entered the conversation. "I guess your horse _ain't_ as fast as you say she is, then."

Kid looked at the short-statured man, not liking his obnoxious attitude.

Continuing, the small man said, "Hell, there ain't no such thing as a Pony Express_ horse_. Their mounts ain't nothin' but school-boy ponies."

There were a few guffaws from the by-standers.

Kid was becoming increasingly annoyed by the short man's innuendoes.

The man turned to the others in the group. "An' the name _Pony Express_. I can see why they call it 'Pony,' but why do they call it 'Express'? "

More guffaws. Kid was nearly hooked now. He pointedly ignored the short man to address Smith. "What kind of distance is this race?"

"Oh...twelve furlongs," Smith replied.

"That's a mile an' a half, for the uneducated," said the short man.

"There's a cash purse for the winner," Smith told him.

_Cash_? That was the magic word as far as Cody was concerned. "Come on, Kid. You _said_ Katie could beat him any day."

The short man exchanged knowing glances with Smith. The Pony Express rider was right at the edge. He just needed the tiniest of pushes now… "Them Pony Express horses ain't all they're cracked up to be. Hell, that horse there ain't nothin' but a lead-hoof plow-mare."

Kid looked at the short man. _Plow-mare?_ His Katie?

Smith made a soothing gesture. "Come now, Myers. The Pony Express is renowned for its speed and quality of its horses.

The short man, whose name was apparently Meyers, gave Kid the final push. "Only race _that_ horse'll ever win is to the glue-makers."

Cody turned a shocked expression to Kid. "_Glue_-makers? You gonna let him talk about Katie that way?"

_No,_ Kid decided, _he wasn't._ To Smith he said, "You're on."

Smith practically rubbed his hands together. "I can see you're a man of sport, after all. Tell you what, how would you like to make a little side-wager..."

.

.

.

As the stagecoach bounced along the trail somewhere ahead of her, Lou rode into the station, switched the pouch to Lightning, and galloped off towards Sweetwater. This was her favorite part of the ride, heading toward the home station, and on her favorite animal to ride, Lightning. Lighting always lived up to his name, especially on this stretch headed toward home, and especially while it was still light out, and Lou knew from experience that the miles would fly by in no time. When she got home, she'd pass the pouch to the next rider, look after her horse, grab some supper, and climb into her bed. If Kid was there, maybe they'd have a little private conversation, maybe share a secret kiss or two. It was a fine day, had been a fine ride, and would be fine to get back home. The world was a fine place to live in, and would be even more fine with a full belly and a warm bed.

.

.

.

Inside the stage-coach, Sam Clemens was becoming so infected with 'Pony Express' fever that Charlie Garrison wondered if they'd have to find a doctor for him when they reached Sweetwater. "Do you think we'll really get to see the Pony rider?" Sam asked.

Amused, Garrison replied, "Oh, I'm sure we will, Sam. The Pony Express stretches on this route for two thousand miles. We ain't gonna miss seein' the rider."

.

.

.

The shotgun rider kept a lookout for various forms of danger, whether Indians or outlaws, not only from the front, but from all directions. He frequently glanced behind the coach, but what he saw this time didn't alarm him. In fact, what he saw chasing them from behind drew a small smile from his lips. "Well, here comes the Pony rider. I expect you ought to tell 'em. That Clemens fella's only asked about twenty times since we left the station."

The driver exchanged amused looks with the shotgun rider, shifted the reins to one hand, and hit the side of the stage with the other to get the attention of his passengers inside. "Here he comes! Here comes the Pony rider!" The driver rolled eyes upwards again for the shotgun rider's benefit.

The Clemens brothers poked their heads out of both sides of the stage. With all the dust, it was difficult to see much, but they peered through the haze excitedly. Garrison watched them with amusement.

Sam Clemens was practically bursting with excitement. "I don't see—wait! There he is! Over there! That little dot! He's comin' awful fast! Look at him!"

The Pony Express rider neared the stage-coach, and Sam and Orion Clemens start waving and shouting wildly. The rider waved back amiably, enjoying the attention but not slowing or letting up on the horse. Garrison only half-listened to the Clemens brothers comments of "fast," "brave Pony riders," "beautiful horse," and what-not. He'd seen plenty of fast horses and fast riders in his day, and one more, especially when it wasn't _his_ horse or rider, wasn't going to get him stirred up.

But then he heard Sam Clemens yell out the question "What's your horse's name?" and a shockingly familiar voice called back, "Lightnin'!" and Garrison's eyes widened as if he'd been struck by lightning. Then he moved quickly to the window and thrust his head out to confirm visually what his ears had just told him. He put his head outside just as the rider was passing, and a look of recognition and astonishment crossed his face as he saw just who the Pony Express rider was.

A similar expression crossed Lou's face as she saw Charlie Garrison. Even Lightning whinnied as he recognized a familiar face.

It took a second, but only a second, for Lou's surprise to be succeeded by action. Instead of slowing, she yelled "Haw!" and urged Lightning to run even faster. The Clemens brothers continued to watch and wave as Lou disappeared from sight, then pulled their heads back inside. Garrison just stared after her. He was the last one to bring his head back inside the stagecoach. He sat back down slowly.

The Clemens brothers were clearly impressed by the speed of the Pony Express rider.

"Wasn't that somethin'!" Orion exclaimed.

"_I'll_ say!" Sam replied. "Did you see how _fast_ he was goin'?

To himself, Charlie Garrison murmured, "Lou...!"

"What?" Sam Clemens asked.

To himself, Garrison murmured, "Dammit, Lou McCloud, you ain't gonna get away from me a second time!"

"What?" Sam said, confused.

Garrison ignored him and poked his head out the window again to talk to the driver. It took him a moment to get the driver's attention. "Driver!" he yelled over the nose of the horses and stagecoach.

"Yeah?" the driver asked.

"That Pony rider—" Garrison said. "What home-station is he from?

"Well, off-hand, I'd say he's prob'ly from Sweetwater. That's where this leg of the relay ends, anyway."

Garrison pulled back inside the stagecoach and sat down. To himself, he repeated, "Sweetwater..."

"Somethin' wrong?" Sam Clemens asked him.

Garrison looked at him, then smiled. "No. I just got a horse-thief to catch."

.

.

.

"The Race"

Chapter Two

Lou returned from her run and passed the pouch to Noah. Dinner was just being set on the table, and she knew that the stagecoach wouldn't make it into town until well after sunset, when the livery would be closed, and only a fool would set out for the Pony Express station on foot after dark. Charlie Garrison was no fool. Furthermore, with Teaspoon here at the station, there was no law for Charlie to go to in town. All of which meant that she had until morning, at least, before her past caught up with her. So she went through the motions of the routine of returning home after a normal run, and sat down with the others to eat.

Throughout the meal, all of the riders except Lou were caught up in the conversation, which centered around Kid and his bet on Katie. Lou ate in silence, and her distraction went unnoticed by the others.

Jimmy, especially, seemed to be enjoying himself in the recounting of the events at Harper's Ridge. "You shoulda seen it, Teaspoon. It was like watching the Kid set flame to three month's pay. An' the look on his face when that fella Myers kept egging him on—why,_ I'd_ give three month's pay just to see that again."

Teaspoon rocked his chair back. "Seems to me ah heard about that race. Supposed to be a big to-do. There's even talk they got some professional jockey comin' in to race some fancy horse."

Jimmy laughed with delight. "You know, I'll bet that Myers fella was him! Lord, this is just too perfect! Kid's gotta outweigh him by at least thirty pounds."

Teaspoon studied Kid, who seems to be smiling slightly. Then his eyes shifted back to Jimmy. "Just how would you describe this here jockey fella?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know. He was a sorta scrawny little guy. "

"Scrawny, huh?" Teaspoon echoed.

Jimmy tilted his head briefly. "Yeah. Undersized."

"Undersized...?"

Cody jumped in to clarify. "As in 'short,' Teaspoon."

"You know, opposite of 'big.'" Jimmy added.

"_Small_ little fella, would ya say?" Teaspoon asked. His eyes returned surreptitiously to Kid, who caught the glance and grinned back, knowing that Teaspoon had figured it out.

Exasperated, Jimmy said, "Yes, Teaspoon. Small little. Short. Tiny—"

"_Puny_ would ya say?" Teaspoon prompted.

Cody suddenly comprehended what Kid was up to. "Lou!"

Teaspoon wiggled eyebrows once to acknowledge the answer to the riddle.

Kid grinned and turned to Lou. "How 'bout it, Lou?"

Hearing her name come from Kid's mouth brought her back to the present. "Huh?"

"How would you like to ride Katie in the race for me?" Kid asked.

"What race?" Lou asked.

Cody looked at her incredulously. "Where the Hell have you been? The Kid's got hisself involved in some big fancy race with professional jockeys, an' he wants you to ride his horse for him."

Lou looked at Kid as if he'd suddenly lost his mind. "Hell, Kid, ah ain't ever been in no professional race."

But Kid was hooked on the idea. "What's the difference? All ya gotta do is ride her."

"What's the distance?" Lou asked.

"Twelve furlongs," Kid answered.

Cody repeated Myers had said earlier in the day. "That's a mile an' a half, for the uneducated."

Lou glared at Cody. "Ah know what a furlong is." Then to Kid she said, "You gotta be outta yer mind, Kid. Katie's a good horse, but she's used to runnin endurance, like ya need for relay, not racin' distances. An' professional racin' ain't just ridin'."

Cody held out his plate for a piece of pie, which Rachel dished out to him. "Well, it sounds like ya know somethin' about it, anyway, which the Kid don't."

"Yeah," Lou retorted. "Ah know enough to know that ah ain't qualified to race against professional jockeys."

Teaspoon stretched. "Seems to me that anyone who gits paid fer ridin' is a professional."

Jimmy smiled. "Well, Kid, I guess Myers has taught you a lesson."

Lou was incredulous. First Charlie Garrison, and now Myers? It couldn't be, just couldn't be. "Myers? Ben Myers?" she asked.

"What, you know him?" Cody asked.

Lou let out a stream of air. "Ah heard o' him. Kid...ah gotta tell ya right now you ain't got a prayer. Katie ain't no race horse, an' ah ain't no jockey."

She looked from Kid to the others for a moment, then went back to her food, now with one more distraction on her mind. Ben Myers and Charlie Garrison in the same place. Was Myers working for Garrison again? Was that why Charlie was out here? Well, whatever Charlie's reason for being here, the fact remained that he _was_ here. And for Lou, the fact that Charlie was here meant that she had to leave. Tonight.

The others went back to their conversation. Kid fell silent, but kept stealing glances at Lou, probably wondering why she wouldn't at least _try_ to win the bet for him. Teaspoon watched them both with furrowed brows, but his gaze was mostly on Lou.

Noah had taken the east-to-west run from Lou, and Ike was due in with the west-to-east run, which Kid would take over. The fact that it was night didn't stop the riders from running the mail, but it did make the run more difficult.

Kid was leading Katie from the barn into the yard as Lou went up to him. "Kid?" she said.

He stopped and looked at her.

"Ah just wanted to say...have a good run."

Kid was a little puzzled. It wasn't unusual for Lou to see him off, but there was something about her tone that was odd. "Thanks," he said.

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Then the faint sound of hooves could be heard approaching from the distance. "Rider comin'," Lou said.

Kid nodded and tightened the cinch on his girth. A few minutes later, Ike rode in and handed the pouch off to Kid, who jumped onto Katie's back and headed east.

Lou watched until he was gone from sight, and remained standing where she was until the sounds of Katie's hooves faded into the night. "'Bye..." she said quietly.

Then she turned and went into the bunkhouse.

She was grateful that the other riders were busy with chores, feeding the animals and getting the ranch ready to be put to bed for the night. It would have been too awkward with them there. But she had just started stuffing her things into her saddlebag when the door opened and Jimmy entered the bunkhouse. She glanced at him, and continued shoving clothes into the saddlebag.

Jimmy watched her for a second, then asked, "Why are you packin' your stuff?

"Ah gotta leave here, Jimmy," she told him.

"Why?"

Lou stopped packing, and turned to face him. "Jimmy, ah gotta ask you to do somethin' for me." She took an envelope from under her mattress and gave it to him. "There's a man, name o' Charlie Garrison, who will show up here, askin' about me. Give 'im this, an' tell 'im ah'm sorry.?

"What's this?" Jimmy said, holding the envelope. When she didn't answer, he undid the flap and looked inside. "Hell, Lou, this is your whole savin's."

Lou resumed her packing. "It ain't quite everything. But it may stop 'im from lookin' for me any further. You got any trail-rations ah can have?"

Jimmy got some hard tack from his things and gave it to her. "You gonna leave without even sayin' good-bye to the Kid?"

Lou shoved the rations into the saddlebag with her clothes. "It's best this way. Ah don't want him around if—" she turned, saw the Kid's lasso rope hanging on the wall and stared at it.

"If, what? Lou, what's goin' on?"

She collected herself again, started to leave, then turned back. "Jimmy, would ya do me another favor?"

Jimmy's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Lou hesitated, then said, "Would ya tell the Kid...ah'm sorry? Tell 'im...ah lo—Tell 'im ah really wish ah coulda rode in that race for 'im."

"Lou—"

She turned, and he kissed her. But she broke it off. "Ah gotta go."

.

.

.

With riders coming and going all the time, no one except Jimmy really paid attention to the fact that Lou's bunk had been empty all night. It wasn't until morning when Cody, and thus the others, realized that Lou's bunk should have been occupied, and wasn't. But even then, they just assumed that she had risen early, and had gone for a swim or something, or maybe was in the ranch house taking a bath. So they went about their chores, and the fact that Lightning wasn't in the barn, either, was cause for curiosity rather than alarm. Maybe she'd gone into town for something.

Jimmy was outside the bunkhouse, leaning against a supporting post as Cody, Buck, and Ike walked past him and headed for the bunkhouse door. Jimmy said nothing as they went past, but listened to their conversation.

Cody waved his arms in the air. "Well, ah still don't see what advantage them professional jockeys would have over Lou. She's one o' the best riders ah ever seen."

Buck shrugged. "Yeah, but those jockeys got experience racin'. They know what tricks to watch for."

They went inside the bunkhouse, and Jimmy looked into the distance as an unfamiliar figure approached the station on horseback. Even from this distance, Jimmy could see that the rider had a decent seat. Whoever he was, he knew how to handle a horse.

But before the rider came into the yard, Cody and the other two riders came back out of the bunkhouse, finally realizing that there was more missing than just Lou and her horse. "Hey, where's Lou's stuff?" Cody asked.

Jimmy didn't take his eyes off the approaching rider. "Fellas, I got news for ya. Lou's gone, an' she ain't comin' back."

"What?" Cody asked incredulously.

"Why?" Buck wanted to know.

"I don't know," Jimmy replied, "but it's got somethin' to do with that man, there, so why don't you all just go back inside for a few minutes and stay put of sight while I see what he wants with her."

The riders looked at each other in puzzlement, then went back inside, leaving the door slightly ajar so that they could listen.

Garrison rode up to the bunkhouse porch. Jimmy offered him an unnaturally friendly smile. "Can I help you?" Jimmy asked sweetly.

"This the Pony Express station?" Garrison asked.

"Why, yes, it is," Jimmy replied.

"I'm looking for Lou McCloud."

"Who?" Jimmy said, feigning ignorance.

"Lou McCloud. I know he's here. Where can I find him? "

"Oh, Lou! You know, I'm surprised you're askin' 'bout _him_, 'cause he don't get many visitors."

Garrison started to lose patience. "Where is he?"

Jimmy held his hands out with his palms toward the visitor in a friendly calming gesture. "No need to get all riled up. Just a minute, and I'll get him for you. "

He went to the bunkhouse door, grabbed Ike's arm, and pulled Ike outside. Ike obviously had no idea what was going on.

Jimmy addressed Ike. "Lou, this fella here's lookin' for ya."

Ike signed something to Jimmy, which Jimmy understood to mean _What the Hell is going on here, and what the Hell are you doing?_

To Garrison, Jimmy said, "Sorry. Lou, here, says he don't know you."

Garrison looked at him for a second, then dismounted, threw his reins around the porch rail, and went into the bunkhouse. He came back out a moment later with Buck and Cody following him.

" Play-time's over," Garrison said. "Where's Lou?"

Jimmy didn't answer. Garrison looked at him, then headed for the barn, with the riders following him.

Garrison entered the barn and looked around quickly, with the riders on his tail. "Lightnin' ain't here," he commented.

"How do you know Lou's horse?" Buck wanted to know.

Cody was beginning to not like this stranger. "Ya know, it occurs to me that you got no right bustin' in here, askin' a lot o' questions about people who don't concern you."

Garrison's expression and tone of voice were dangerously soft. "Lou McCloud _is_ my concern. Look, let's stop playing games. You boys know what she is, don't you? Just take me to her, or I'll cause more trouble for you than you can handle. "

To his fellow riders, Buck said, "He knows that Lou's a girl, anyway."

"Yeah, but we still don't know who _he_ is," Cody pointed out.

Garrison sighed. "My name's Char-"

Jimmy cut him off. "I know what your name is. It's Charlie Garrison. An' we ain't gonna take you to Lou, partly 'cause we don't know where she went, but mostly 'cause she don't want to see you. She left this for you—" he gave Garrison the envelope "-an' said to apologize. For _what_, she didn't say. Now...I'm sure what's in there is more than enough for you to forget whatever differences you have between you. So if you take my advice, you'll leave town, an' you won't go lookin' for her. " Jimmy brushed back his coat to expose his gun. The threat was obvious.

Garrison stared at him. "Good Lord, she doesn't think-Look, I just gotta talk to her."

Cody stepped up next to Jimmy and patted his holster. "Like the man said, she's gone, an' we don't know where she went. (joins Jimmy in exposing his gun) Now, I think Jimmy's advice is pretty sound, don't you?"

Buck and Ike also joined the line-up, presenting a united front to the stranger and making it clear that they would all defend Lou, whatever the consequences.

Garrison looked at them for a moment, then nodded. "All right." He indicated the envelope. "Tell her that things are square between us. Tell her I won't be followin' her."

Garrison turned, and went back to his horse. Jimmy and the others watched him mount up, and ride off towards town. Then Jimmy went into the barn and started tacking up his horse.

"Where are you goin'?" Buck wanted to know.

Jimmy tightened the girth, then went to get his bridle. "I'm just makin' sure he leaves town like we advised. Then we're gonna sit tight here for a while, make sure he don't come back, an' then go find Lou."

"You mind tellin' me what's goin' on? " Cody asked.

Jimmy shook his head. "I wish I knew."

.

.

.

"The Race"

Chapter Three

The sun was getting low in the sky as Buck dismounted and inspected the signs on the ground. "This way," he said, pointing.

"Sun's goin' down soon," Cody noted.

Ike sighed. None of them needed Buck to interpret the worry in it.

"Me, too, Ike.," Cody said.

They continued following the trail, with Buck tracking, and the signs grew a little more fresh every time Buck checked them.

.

.

.

It took a while for Lou to get her fire going, It had rained two days before, and most of the wood was still wet. But she had finally found enough dry kindling to work with, and a source of warmth and light was finally had. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the fire spreading while she was asleep.

Lou huddled next to her meager fire, with her horse tied to a nearby bush. She sat with her face resting in her hands for a long moment, considering how much of her dry tack she should eat, weighing the hunger in her belly against going into a town where she might be recognized. Then her horse whinnied suddenly, and Lou raised her head to look at him, but only for an instant, before ducking behind a nearby tree. She drew her gun and fired high toward the sound she heard in the brush, deliberately missing. "Next one's for real!" she called.

Cody's voice yelled back, "Hold yer fire, Lou! It's us!"

Lou sighed, then holstered her gun and waited for the riders to come into her clearing. "What the Hell are ya doin' here?" she asked.

"Lookin' for _you_," Jimmy answered.

"Ah coulda shot ya." Lou pointed out.

"Not unless your aim's improved since the last time I saw ya shoot," Cody said with a grin. "Face it, Lou. You ain't cut out for the life of a desperado."

She shook her head. "Ah ain't cut out for hangin', either, which is what's gonna happen to me _an'_ all of _you_, if ya don't turn around an' go back to the station."

"We're only tryin' to help," Buck replied.

Lou drew in a deep breath. "You can help by forgettin' ya know which way ah went. " To Jimmy, she asked, "Charlie come lookin' for me?"

"Yeah."

"An'?"

"An' I did like you said. He said to tell you that things were square between you, an' that he wasn't gonna be followin' you. I checked the hotel, an' he checked out."

Lou leaned against the tree in relief.

"So you comin' back to the station now?" Jimmy asked.

"Ah'd like to," Lou replied, "but ah cain't take that risk."

Cody pulled up a large branch to sit on. "You mind tellin' us what this is all about?"

She shook her head. "Ah wish ah could, Cody. But ah cain't make ya party to mah mistakes."

Suddenly Buck waved the riders silent. "There's somebody out there," he whispered. "We ain't alone."

A look of panic came into Lou's face, and she drew her gun. The other riders drew theirs, as well, and they scattered for tree cover away from where Buck was pointing.

"Who's there?" Lou called.

From the brush came a reply. "It's me. And unless you want one of these boys or me to get hurt, I'd tell your friends to drop their guns and come out with their hands up high."

Lou closed her eyes briefly and drew a ragged breath, then tossed her weapon on the ground. "Do it," she told them.

"Why?" Jimmy asked from the next tree. "There's only one o' him, an' _five_ o' us."

Lou ran her hands through her hair. "'Cause ah'm _askin'_ ya to, that's why. Ah may be guilty of a lot o' things, but ah don't want to add 'murder' to the list. He won't shoot if he ain't bein' threatened."

The other riders tossed their weapons to the ground and followed her into the clearing, except for Jimmy, who tossed one and tucked the other behind his back into his belt before following. Garrison came into the clearing holding his gun, saw that the apparent danger was gone, sighed, then holstered his gun. "What are you doin' out here, Lou?"

Lou was clearly frightened. As the riders lowered their hands, Jimmy's hand moved toward his back. He left his gun there, but was ready to draw it quickly if the need arose.

"You said you weren't gonna follow me," Lou said to Garrison.

"I didn't," Garrison replied. There was something of a spark of humor in his voice. "I followed _them_."

"Didn't Hickok give you the money?" Lou asked him.

Garrison took the envelope out of his pocket and threw it at her. "What, this? That don't mean nothin' to me."

"Take the horse, _an'_ the money, Charlie. Please."

"I don't _want_ Lightning _or_ the money!" Garrison replied.

Lou's expression was agonized. "Ah don't want to hang, Charlie!"

Garrison's gaze rolled heavenward, and he shook his hands in the air. "Oh, for cryin' out loud-"

Lou was completely broken now, and tears rolled down her face. "Ah'm sorry ah took 'im, Charlie, honest. Ah was hopin' if ah gave ya mah homestead savin's, ya wouldn't come lookin' for me."

Garrison went over to her, and Jimmy's hand went to his gun, just in case.

Garrison wiped Lou's face dry. "Would you stop that? I don't give a damn about the horse, and I ain't gonna have you hung!"

Lou choked back a sob. "You ain't?"

Garrison sighed, and Jimmy withdrew his hand, leaving his gun where it was. "No, idiot," Garrison said to Lou. "I ain't. That skinny neck of yours is too pretty to be danglin' at the end of a rope. Prob'ly just slip right through it, anyway. But I gotta admit, there have been times-like now-when it's all I can do to keep my hands from wringin' it.

Lou was incredulous. "You ain't gonna turn me over to the law?"

Garrison laughed. "Look, you _want_ me to hang you? Fine. Got any rope?"

Relief flooded over Lou, and she sagged against the older man. "Oh, Charlie-"

Garrison stroked her hair and chuckled softly. "You're all right now, so quit your blubberin', and let's take you back to that Pony Express station you came from. "

.

.

.

A much relieved but very tired Lou sat at the table with Garrison as Rachel poured two cups of tea.

"Well, said Rachel, "any friend of Lou's is a friend of mine. And there's no need for you to be goin' back to town at this hour. There's an extra bed in the front room. It ain't the fanciest thing in the world, but it's pretty comfortable, and you're more than welcome to stay. "

Garrison took the teacup with an unexpected gentleness, given his meaty hands, took a sip, then set it back down. "I'm much obliged, Ms. Dunn. It's been a long day, and I could do with a good night's sleep." To Lou, he added, "And so could you, young lady." He looked back up at Rachel and said, "Ms. Dunn, do you have anything to put in this tea?"

Rachel moved to a cupboard. "I expect I do." She took out a bottle of hard liquor and handed it to Garrison, who opened it and started to pour a generous amount into Lou's tea.

"Charlie, ah don't want-" Lou protested.

Garrison ignored her protests and continued to pour. "But you _need_. You're going to drink every drop of this, and then it's off to bed." He closed the bottle and started to hand it back to Rachel.

"Help yourself," Rachel told him.

Garrison smiled appreciatively. "Don't mind if I do, thanks." He poured some into his own cup, then handed the bottle back to Rachel, who put it away.

Garrison cleared his throat and said speculatively, "You know, it might be better to let Lou stay here tonight, and let me bunk with the boys."

Lou looked up stubbornly. "Ah'm sleepin' in mah own bunk."

Rachel reassured Garrison. "Don't worry. The boys won't bother her none. But if you'll excuse me for a moment, I think I'll just go check on a few things in the bunkhouse before she goes back." She left the kitchen and the house, leaving Lou alone with Garrison.

After a moment, Lou cleared her throat regretfully. "Charlie, ah'm sorry for all the trouble ah caused ya. "

"We'll talk about it in the mornin', when your head's clear," Garrison replied.

.

.

.

In the morning, Jimmy, Cody, Buck, and Ike emerged from the bunkhouse in various states of semi-dress, yawning.

"Where the Hell did Lou go _now_?" Cody wanted to know.

Buck was smiling. He pointed out to the nearby plains. "Look!"

Lou was out on the plains, just outside of the homestead, riding Lightning. She was jumping bushes and doing various other tricks-playing.

Ike smiled and shook his head.

Jimmy blew out a lungful of air noisily, then turned around and headed back inside to his bunk.

The door to the house opened, and Garrison came out. He started to stretch, saw the riders, then looked to see what they were looking at. He watched Lou for a moment, and a slow smile developed. He headed towards the barn, where his livery mount was stabled.

Lou stopped frolicking on horseback when she saw Garrison approaching on horseback, and rode up to him. She was smiling. "Good mornin', Charlie," she said.

"Morning, Lou. You're up awful early, aren't you?"

"Us desperados gotta be up with the sun," Lou replied with a smile.

Garrison shook his head. "Lou...I think you need a few lessons in desperading. First of all, desperados don't go insistin' on gettin' themselves hung. "

Lou laughed.

Garrison continued. "Second, desperados don't go around tryin' to pay for what they stole."

Lou sobered. "Charlie, ah want ya to take Lightnin' back."

"And third," Garrison said, nodding at Lightning, who seemed happy to see him, "desperados don't go givin' back what they stole in the first place. Far as I'm concerned, Lightning was yours since the first day you rode him. Meant to make it official a long time before you left, but just never got around to doin' it." He paused a second, then asked, "Why'd you run away, Lou?"

Lou hesitated. "After ah told ya ah was a girl...everything just seemed so different."

"It wasn't any different," Garrison said. "I knew what you were long before you told me."

Lou was surprised. "You did?"

Garrison laughed. "You don't get as close to a person as we were and not notice a thing like that." He cleared his throat and looked out into the distance. "Was it because I kissed you?"

Lou looked out over the same piece of land. "Hell, Charlie, ah realized later that you didn't mean nothin' by it. But ah'd already stolen Lightnin', an' ah didn't figger ah couldn't go back after that."

"I'd never do anything to hurt you, Lou."

Lou suddenly remembered something and changed the subject. "Charlie, you remember when you said you had an idea that would revolutionize horse-racin'? What was it? "

"Why do you want to know?"

"Cause there's a race ah want to ride in."

Garrison shrugged. "It wasn't much. I just got to thinking what if, instead of _sittin'_ in the saddle, you raised the stirrups and stood _up_ the saddle."

"You mean, like in two-point?"

"Not exactly. More like a...crouch, I guess."

"Would ya show me?"

"Well, maybe I'll show you sometime. Lou, how would you like to come back to the ranch with me?"

"You'd give me mah old job back? After what ah did?

"Not exactly your old job. And like I said, I don't give a damn about the horse. But there was something else you stole that I've been looking for."

Lou looked at him uncomprehendingly. "Charlie, ah swear, ah didn't take nothin' else-"

"My heart, Lou. You stole my heart. Ever since you left...I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. And now that I've found you, there's something I've got to ask. "

"Charlie-" Lou was afraid of what he was going to say next.

"Lou, will you marry me?"

"What?"

"I probably shouldn't have sprung it on you like this. Probably should've taken the time to court you properly, but I don't want to let you slip away a second time."

"Charlie-"

"Don't say anything now. But think about it, and in the meantime, let me give you something to think about." He leaned over in his saddle, tilted her chin up, and kissed her gently but lingeringly. When he pulled away, Lou's expression was troubled.

.

.

.

Rachel and a very troubled Lou were sitting at the table. The kitchen window was open to let out the heat from the cooking stove.

"What am ah gonna tell 'im, Rachel?" Lou asked.

"I think the appropriate answer is 'Yes' or 'no.'"

"Ah care for him a lot, Rachel. Ah really do. He's always been nice to me, an' he helped me when ah needed it."

"Well, a man like that, he'd give you a good home."

"If it weren't for him, ah wouldn't even know how to ride. Ah owe him everything, Rachel."

"So tell 'im 'yes.'"

"But ah don't love him. Well, maybe ah do, but not like the Kid, anyway."

Outside, unseen by either the younger or more experienced woman, Charlie was standing near the open window, listening.

Charlie is standing near the open window, listening.

"So tell 'im 'no.' " Rachel said. "Hell, Lou, if you don't want Charlie, throw him _my_ way. I wouldn't mind someone like that."

"Ah wish it were that simple, Rachel."

"So do I," Rachel replied ruefully.

.

.

.

Lou was sitting alone on the bunkhouse steps, looking at the sunset. Garrison joined her. "Pretty sky, ain't it?" he commented.

Lou nodded.

"Your Rachel's a good cook."

"She's all right."

"A lot better than Phil, wouldn't you say?

Lou smiled in spite of herself. "He still workin' for ya?"

"Oh, yeah. Still poisonin' everybody."

They fell silent for a moment. Finally, Lou said quietly, "Ah got an answer for ya, Charlie." There was another moment, and then she said, "Ah'm sorry, but ah cain't marry ya."

Garrison didn't look at her. "Yeah, I know."

"Ya do?" She studied him.

"Yeah. I guess maybe I knew when you ran away. But I had to ask."

Lou's expression was filled with regret. "Ya mean a lot to me, Charlie. Ya really do. An' ah'm sorry for havin' to hurt ya like this."

"Don't be."

"Ah'll always be grateful to ya. You gave me somethin' ah never had before."

"What, a place to sleep and some decent meals?"

"No, what ah'm talkin' about is...a feelin'. You made me feel like ah was worth somethin'."

"I didn't do much. Every time you felt unhappy, all I'd do was stick you up on a horse."

"It made me feel good, too, learnin' to do somethin' ah could do better than the others." A moment later she added, "Ah've always looked up to ya, Charlie. "

Garrison breathed in and out deeply. "I guess...when you finally told me what you were, I took it as a sign that maybe...you felt the same way about me that I felt about you."

"Ah just wanted to be honest with ya."

"Yeah..." He stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'll just go for a little walk, and then head back to town 'til the next stage passes through."

Lou couldn't say anything, just nodded.

Garrison started toward the ranch house, then stopped and turned to face her. "You know...I've always wondered what you'd look like in a dress..."

Garrison walked away. Lou closed her eyes then lowered her into her arms. After a moment, she drew a ragged breath. After another moment, Rachel came from the ranch house and sat beside her. "Lou...?" Rachel asked.

Eventually Lou looked up and out to the distance. "Ah hurt him, Rachel..."

"I know."

.

.

.

"The Race"

Chapter Four

Lou looked off into the distance, where Kid was approaching. Jimmy was ready for his turn at relay.

"Rider comin'!" Lou called out.

"_I_ ain't the one who wears glasses," Jimmy muttered.

Kid rode in, and passed the pouch off to Jimmy. Lou took Kid's horse. "I'll take her for you," she said

"Thanks."

Lou started to lead Katie away then turned back. "Kid, how long before that race?"

"'Bout two weeks. Why?"

She gave her head a wry tilt. "Well, ah hope ya like doin' relay, 'cause if that's all the time we got to practice, you're gonna have to take mah runs for me."

Kid grinned.

Lou went on, "But there's just one condition. Ah want to be equal partners with ya. Ah want fifty percent of the purse, if we win, an' ah'll give ya half of the expenses, if we lose."

"You don't need to take that risk."

"That's the way ah want it, Kid."

Kid laughed. "You're crazy."

"Probably. Is it a deal?"

Kid laughed, then held out his hand. "It's a deal."

Lou shook hands with him, smiling, then started to turn away.

Kid called after her, "Lou-"

She turned, and Kid kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Thanks," he said.

Lou smiled, and led Katie off to cool her down before putting her in her stall for a well-deserved rest.

Kid watched her for a couple of minutes, and then went into the bunkhouse for some rest of his own. Cody was cleaning his gun at the table. "Well, Kid, you missed all the excitement," Cody told him.

"What do you mean?" Kid asked.

Cody grinned. "Let's just say that I got some good news an' some bad news for ya."

Kid sighed tiredly and hoisted himself onto his bunk. "What are you talkin' about?"

"The good news is, Lou ain't gonna run off with Garrison. The bad news is..." He sighed dramatically, "She's a horse-thief!"

.

.

.

The stagecoach wasn't due for two more days. Garrison had a room at the hotel, but nothing to do until his stage arrived except read or visit the saloon. He'd finished the dime novel he bought, so he was now seated at the bar, nursing a nearly empty glass. The bartended motioned as if to get him another, but Garrison shook his head. Teaspoon entered and went up to Garrison.

"'Scuse me, you Charlie Garrison?"

Garrison glanced at the Marshall briefly. "Somethin' I can do for you?"

"Uh...yeah. Ah wanted to talk to you about Lou McCloud. Ah mean...that was just a _misunderstandin'_ about the horse, wasn't it? 'Cause if it wasn't, ah'd like to settle up with you for wotever Lou owes."

Garrison drained the last of his glass. "Lou doesn't owe me a thing."

"Well, ah'm glad to hear that, 'cause grown kinda fond of h-ah mean, _him_-an'-"

"You mean, her."

"Oh, you know about that, huh? Well, like ah was sayin', ah've grown kinda fond o' Lou, an' ah'd hate to see anything happen to her, if ya know wot ah mean."

"Yeah, I do."

Teaspoon had the sense to know when he wasn't wanted. "Well, ah won't take up any more o' yer time. But if there's ever anything ah can do for ya..." he started to leave.

Garrison turned around in his seat. "Marshal, there _is_ something you can do for me."

Teaspoon turned back. "Wot's 'at?

"You can tell me about the rider they call 'the Kid.'"

"Kid? Why do you want to know about him?"

"I understand Lou has a special interest in him."

Teaspoon sat down next to Garrison. "Now _that_ is somethin' nobody's quite sure of. Them two was pretty hot 'an' heavy for a while there until they decided to call it off, but to look at 'em lookin' at each other, you'd never know but there ain't still a spark of somethin' still there somewhere."

"Tell me about him."

"Hell, Kid's all right. Got more sense 'n some o' the others, 'cept when it comes to his horse."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how a boy can get attached to somethin' so that his heart takes over his brain. Kid gets like that sometimes. Lou, too, come to think of it. Anyway, that's how he got hisself in over his head with this race comin' up."

Garrison considered what Teaspoon had said thoughtfully. "Lou said somethin' about a race..."

"Yeah, she an' the Kid are now partners in this thing, which is why ah said she was just like 'im, since _she's_ the one who told him he don't have a prayer of winnin' in the first place."

Garrison studied Teaspoon critically. "Let me get this straight. This Kid is in over his head with a horse race, and now he's got Lou involved in it?"

"Uh, actually, ah think the whole partnership thing was _her_ idea."

"Just how deep in are they?"

"Hun'erd dollars."

"Good Lord!"

"Yeah. Ah just hate to see those kids lose their hard-earned savin's like that. Know wot ah mean?"

Garrison rose. "I think this boy needs to learn a lesson or two about gamblin'."

Teaspoon pulled him back to his seat with a restraining hand. "Now, hold on. It ain't all his fault."

"How's that?"

"Well, first of all, Kid ain't used to dealin' with professional gamblers."

"That ain't no excuse."

"It is when you seen how this pair operates. They're the best, all right."

"How do you know that?"

"Cause ah took a trip to Harper's Ridge mahself, to have a look at this-here jockey everybody's been talkin' about. An' ah seen him in action."

Garrison smiled with sudden realization. "You didn't."

"Ah did. Normally ah am immune to this sorta thing, but listenin' to this Myers fella talk just got mah dander up, an' ah put money down on the Kid."

Garrison's eyes widened. " Myers..._Ben_ Myers?"

"Wot, you know him?"

Garrison let out a scoff. "Wish I didn't."

.

.

.

The next day, Garrison set out on his livery horse towards Harper's Ridge. He stabled his horse at that town's livery and went looking for his quarry. He saw Myers first, and took a route to come up on Myers from behind. As he approached, he could hear Myers chuckling to himself as he watched Smith hustle another sucker off towards the bank.

"Hello, Ben," Garrison said.

Myers started at the familiar voice, then turned slowly, with a smile. "Well, if it ain't Charles Garrison himself. Little ways out of your territory, ain't ya?"

"Let's cut the small-talk. I'm here to ask you for a favor."

"Now what could _you_ possibly want of _me_?"

"I want you to let the Pony Express rider off the hook."

"I got nothin' to do with it. His bet's already registered."

"You can get him out of it."

"Suppose I don't want to?"

"Then I promise you'll regret it."

"That a threat?"

"If you like."

Myers smiled. "Lookin' forward to it."

Garrison gave his head a twist. "Have it your way, then." He started to leave, but turned back. "Oh, Myers...if there's any sign of funny business, I'll see to it that you never ride again. This race is gonna be a fair contest."

Myers waited until Garrison was out of earshot before chuckling softly. "Whatever you say."

.

.

.

As Garrison approached the barn, he saw Lou and Kid examining Katie's hoof. Out of their line of sight, Garrison stopped, holding a light racing saddle, but staying out of sight to listen for a moment.

Lou's voice was relieved. "It don't look too bad, thank'goodness. It'll heal in a couple days."

Kid put Katie's foot down and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Listen, Lou, I've been thinkin'. About this partnership thing...you don't have to go through with it. I'll give you half the purse if we win. No risk on your part. You're doin' enough just by riding her."

Lou rubbed Katie's leg and looked up at him. "You ain't tryin' to back out on me, are ya, Kid?"

"No, I just don't think it's right for you to pay for my mistakes."

"Equal partners means equal partners."

Kid sighed. "Lou?"

"Yeah?"

He gave her a teasing smile. "Did you really steal Lightning?"

The return look she gave him was unappreciative. "Yeah, Kid. Ah did."

"I reckon I better keep Katie under lock and key, then."

Lou was unamused. "Ah reckon ya better."

Kid sighed again. "Look, tomorrow I'll head over to Harper's Ridge and talk to Smith. Maybe if I eat some humble pie, he'll let me take back the bet."

Garrison stepped into the barn, making his presence known. "Forget it, boy. This is professional racing. They ain't gonna excuse no bets."

Lou gasped. "Charlie!" She covered up her mouth with her hands. She was surprised and glad to see him, but didn't know quite how to take it.

"Who the Hell are you?" Kid wanted to know.

Lou waved a hand in Garrison's direction. "Kid, this is the man who taught me how to ride, taught me everything ah know 'bout horses. There ain't a thing about horses or horse racin' that he don't know!"

Garrison dropped the saddle on the barn floor and strode over to where they had been examining Katie. "Why the Hell didn't you tell me Ben Myers was ridin'? This the horse you want to run?"

Lou smiled. "Her name's Katie."

Garrison patted the horse. "She ain't a bad looking animal, at least. I'll bet you been runnin' her ragged, though, trying to improve her times."

"They've just been gettin' worse," Lou admitted.

"I ain't surprised. Put that saddle on Lightning, and run the stirrups up where I got 'em marked."

Lou picked up the saddle. "Charlie?"

He looked at her.

"Thanks," Lou said, meaning it.

.

.

.

Garrison gave Lou a leg up on her horse. With the stirrups up higher than she was used to, she needed it. "Okay, now, stand up in the stirrups," he told her.

"Like this?" Lou asked, standing.

"No, not like _that_. Stick your rear end out behind you and crouch. That's better."

"Now what?"

"Grab the reins down closer to the bit. That's it. Now just walk him around a bit 'til you get the feel of it. Then we'll try an easy trot."

Kid studied Lou's position on the horse. "That don't look very comfortable."

Garrison glanced at him. "It ain't. But it'll win races."

"You really think we stand a shot at beating Myers?" Kid asked.

"Ben Myers is one of the best. But he ain't _the_ best." To Lou, he shouted, "_Crouch_! That's it."

.

.

.

The next days were a blur of Lou riding Lightning, Garrison giving instructions, working Katie on sprints without wearing her to the bone, practice races against the other riders, and a multitude of other things. But one day, Garrison declared it was time to give Katie and Lightning and Lou a break, and Kid and Garrison hitched up the farm nag to the buckboard and took a trip to Harper's Ridge to get something for the race that they couldn't get in Sweetwater. Lou wanted to know what that was, but Garrison was elusive.

The general store, which Garrison had checked out when he had tried to talk Myers into letting Kid out of his bet, carried a better selection of fabrics than Thompson's store in Sweetwater.

Garrison led Kid to the few bolts of silk that set this general store apart from Sweetwater's. "I've already talked to Rachel about making the clothes," he said, "but you're the horse's owner. The owner gets to choose the colors."

"Who cares?" Kid said. Colors were not his strong suit.

"You will, come next week. Pick something bright that can be seen from a distance."

"Can't Lou just wear her regular clothes?"

"You want to make an impression, you gotta _look_ impressive. Now what color do ya want?"

"Uh...Katie's an Irish name. How 'bout green."

Garrison picked up the bolt of green silk. "What else?"

"I don't know. Just green. "

"Just green it is, then."

When they returned to Sweetwater, Lou was less than impressed with Kid's color choice. She wrinkled her nose when she saw it. "_Green_? An' _just_ green? Ah'm gonna stand out like an oak tree in the desert."

Garrison took the criticism with amusement. "Standin' out is the point, Lou. If you were ridin' for _me_, it would be in my blue and whites. The jockey don't get to choose."

"Yeah, but ah ain't just the jockey. Ah'm a partner, remember. Plus, ah got _reasons_ for not wantin' to stand out. They find out ah'm a girl, an' it's gonna ruin your reputation, Charlie. You'll get kicked out o' horse racin' the rest o' your life."

"My name ain't officially in this race," Garrison replied. "The only thing linkin' me is Myers, an' he don't know nothin'. And if he does, unless he wants me to bring up how he shared a bunkhouse with a _girl_ for nearly a year an' didn't even know it, he'll keep his mouth shut."

Kid studied Lou judiciously and spoke to Garrison. "You know, in regular clothes, Lou hides it pretty well, but in that light cloth, I can think of _two_ reasons why she might stand out as a girl."

Garrison changed his angle of view and nodded agreement, causing Lou to roll her eyes. "You've filled out some since you worked for me, Lou." To Kid, he said, "We can wrap her up in bandages first," Garrison replied. "Say 'he' fell off in practice and cracked a rib or somethin'."

Lou waved a hand. "_Ah'll_ do the wrappin', if the two of you don't mind."

"Gonna have to be _tight_, Lou," Garrison pointed out. "May be a little hard to breathe, but it can't be helped. And you're gonna have to practice that way the rest of the time, too.

She nodded.

.

.

.

The day of the race dawned clear and blue, and warm for that time of year. Kid and Garrison waited for Lou outside the privy where she was changing into her silks.

Kid knocked on the door. "Come on, Lou, there are people waitin'."

The door opened, and Lou emerged, dressed in her green jockey outfit. She thrusted a bundle of clothes at the Kid, and the three of them start walking to where Teaspoon, Rachel, and the other riders were waiting.

"Ah feel like a green bean," Lou complained. To Garrison, she said, "Couldn't you have picked some other color to go with it? Blue, or yellow, or somethin'?"

"He's the one that picked it, Lou. Here." He handed her a green hat.

"What's this?"

" Jockey cap. You gotta wear it. Rachel couldn't make it, so I had it commissioned special."

Lou shoved it on the top of her head. "Who made up these rules, anyway?" To Kid, she said, "Couldn't you have at least picked green an' white, or green an' red, or somethin'?"

They approached Ike, who was holding Katie, and Kid swiped Ike's red headscarf and held it out to her. "You wanna look like Christmas? Here. "

Lou took the scarf and gave it back to Ike and took Katie's reins. "Kid, ya got no sense o' style."

Garrison gave Lou a leg up. "Take Katie on up to the gate area and walk her around a bit to warm her up and get her used to the other horses. I'll be along directly."

Kid and Ike walked to where the other riders were waiting. Teaspoon clapped Ike on the shoulders, and addressed the group at large. "Last chance to place yer bets, boys."

Jimmy smiled smugly. "Oh, I got mine placed already, Teaspoon."

Cody looked down to the end of the track where the horses and their riders were milling. "I wonder if it's too late to put lead shot in them other horses' feed, like in that frog story Charlie was tellin'?"

.

.

.

Garrison gave the promised dollar coin to the stable kid he had befriended on an earlier trip to Harper's Ridge. Apparently, the boy was supposed to be painting the corral fences, but the excitement of the race and the boy's general tendency towards laziness were evident in the barely used paintbrush and pail, which were abandoned nearby.

The boy pocketed the coin and gave the requested information. "He's worried about the Pony horse, all right. Talk is Myers paid some o' the other riders to box the Pony rider's horse in."

"You sure about that?" Garrison asked.

"No. Like I said, it's just rumor."

Garrison gave him another coin. "Thanks."

"My pleasure, Mr. Garrison." Another boy, the son of one of the racegoers, approached the fences, and Garrison's informant picked up his paintbrush. "I gotta get back to work, now. "

Garrison tugged his hat and started back to where the jockeys were warming up, then started in surprise as he saw a familiar face coming towards him.

"Charlie! Charlie Garrison! I _thought_ that was you!"

"Sam Clemens?" Charlie asked, still surprised. "What are you doin' here?"

"Heard there was a big race, and wanted to see it for myself. Got any tips?"

"Yeah. Watch for the jockey in green."

"Huh?"

Garrison tugged his hat, and left.

Clemens watched him go, then turned his attention to the stable boy Charlie had been talking to, who had now picked up his paintbrush and was furiously whitewashing the fence. Another boy was standing nearby, watching. Clemens went up to listen to their conversation.

The new boy was taunting the painter. "Don't you wish _you_ could come an' play, too? But _you_ gotta _work_!"

The first boy seemed enraptured by his painting task. "I like what I'm doin' just _fine_."

"You don't mean to say that you _like_ doin' that?' the other boy asked.

"I don't see why I shouldn't. I don't get a chance to do this every day." He continued to work with an air of pride.

The other boy watched him for a minute. "Uh...say...you don't suppose _I_ could have a try at that, do you?"

"_You_? Oh, no. You wouldn't know how to do it right."

"Sure, I would. Say, uh, what if I gave you my new penny for a try?"

Garrison's boy stopped painting and eyed the other doubtfully. "I don't know...You'd have to be real careful."

"Oh, I _would_ be."

Clemens folded his arms and watched the two boys in amusement. The first boy seemed to be thinking things over, then reluctantly agreed. "Well...all right. But I want the penny first."

The penny was exchanged for the paintbrush, and the first boy backed out of the area slyly as the other boy worked.

Clemens put a hand on the boy's shoulder before the boy coulc into him. "That work every time?"

The boy caught Clemens' smile and smiled himself. "No, but it's mighty satisfyin' when it does."

"What's your name, son?"

"Tod."

"Tom?"

"Tod. Tod Sloan."

Clemens shook hands with the boy. "You'll go far in life, Tod-Tod Sloan."

Tod grinned, then went on his way.

.

.

.

Outside the gate, Garrison offered Lou some last minute advice. "Whatever you do, don't let yourself get boxed-in. Keep her to the outside, if you have to."

Nearby, Myers, wearing yellow and purple, saw Garrison talking to a jockey in green, and rode up on the horse Bullet, along with another jockey wearing the same colors, but on a different horse. Lou and Garrison were still in their tete-a-tete, and Myers couldn't see Lou's face.

"Hey, ain't that the Pony Express fella's horse? An' who's that _ridin'_her? The Pony Express _Pickle_?" Meyers taunted.

With a sigh, to Garrison, Lou said, "Ah really hate these clothes."

The jockey with Meyers said, "Maybe he's just green with envy, 'cause he knows he's gonna be left standin' still at the gate."

Garrison suppressed a smile, and kept his voice for her ears only. "Ignore them. And remember what I said. A horse has only got one good sprint, so save it for the end. And watch out for that whip. Myers got a reputation for usin' it on things other than his own horse. Now. Let's shake _him_ a little. Let him see who you are."

Lou smiled and turned around in the saddle so Myers could see her face. "Hi, Ben."

Myers stared at her.

The jockey with Meyers was oblivious to the rider and Myers' reaction. "Maybe he's just green with envy, 'cause he knows he's gonna be left standin' still at the gate."

Myers smiled slowly, covering his surprise and maybe just a bit of worry. "Lou McCloud. Ain't seen you in a while."

"Ain't seen you, either, which was lucky for me."

"When I saw Charlie, I shoulda known you wouldn't be too far behind."

"Ah don't work for Charlie any more. Ah ride for the Pony Express."

"I always knew they were a queer lot." He regarded her short stirrups. "You know, I seen a monkey ride a horse at a circus once, looks a lot like you do. "

"'Monkey'? 'Frog' is more like it, since he's so green."

Garrison took hold of Katie's reins down near the bit and started leading Lou to the starting gate. "Ignore them."

"Hey, he gonna lead you all the way through the course, too?" Myers called after her.

To Garrison, Lou said, "Ah'd like to lead _him_ somewhere."

Garrison smiled. "Don't worry, you will. Don't get up into your crouch 'til just before the gate opens. No sense wearin' yourself out before the race starts, or lettin' the others see what we're up to."

"Right."

.

.

.

In the spectator area, Rachel, Teaspoon, and the riders waited for the race to start. The activity by the starting boxes indicated that it wouldn't be long in coming.

Rachel was barely contained. "This is so excitin'! I bet a whole dollar on Lou and Katie."

Under his breath, Cody said to Buck, "Awl that?"

Buck tilted his head. "One thing's for sure. You can't miss seein' Lou in that green outfit. She looks like a vegetable."

Kid, standing on the other side of Buck, sighed.

Rachel smiled, admiring her handiwork. "I think she looks fine. Like a four-leaf clover."

Teaspoon nudged Kid from behind. "You really think this new idea's gonna work?"

"Oh, it works, Teaspoon," Luke replied. "I just don't know if it will work enough for us to win. "

At the starting gate, Lou drew the slot next to Myers. Various other jockeys were also lined up. A gate official stood at either end of the slots nearby.

Myers looked at Lou, and started snickering.

Lou cocked an eyebrow towards Myers, then said to herself, "_Pickle_, am ah? Ah'll show _you_ who's in a pickle."

The gate official nodded nearest Lou and Myers nodded at a signal, then shouted, "Jockeys ready!"

Lou got up in her crouch position. Myers glanced at her and frowned.

.

.

.

Kid was worried.

Lou didn't seem to start very well. She was towards the middle of the pack, maybe just ahead of the majority of riders, but she wasn't in the lead.

Jimmy, meanwhile, was elated, then quickly hid his elation from the other riders and pretended to cheer Lou on along with the others. He had secretly bet _against_ the Kid and Lou. A couple of jockeys started trying to squeeze Lou between them, but she was ready for them and nudged Katie towards the outside, cutting one of them off.

Garrison was not with the Pony Express group. He was standing behind the fence in a different place, shouting encouragement. Finally, around the last two curves, Lou started passing the other jockeys. Eventually, it became Lou and Myers in the lead, neither rider having a clear advantage.

Kid's brows furrowed, and then he pointed. "There! Did you see that?!"

"What?" Rachel wanted to know. She hadn't seen anything.

"He hit her with his whip! There, he did it again!" But this time, there was a flash of Lou's free hand grabbing it from Myers, and flinging it to the ground. Kid grinned.

And then it was over. Kid couldn't tell who won. But then after Lou slowed Katie to a walk and sat back down in the saddle, she transferred the reins to one hand and raised a fist into the air in victory.

Kid gave a joyous _Whoop!_ and left the others to squeeze through the fence and run to where Lou was walking his horse.

Further down the fence, Garrison shouted in victory and did the same.

Garrison reached Lou first. She was laughing and patting Katie's neck.

"Lou!" shouted Garrison.

Lou turned Katie around to face him. "Charlie! It worked just like magic!"

Kid rushed up excitedly. "You did it!" he yelled.

Lou grinned at him, but Kid's attention was on Katie as he pet her and fussed over her.

"I knew you could do it, girl!" Kid said.

Annoyed, Lou exclaimed, "Hey!"

Kid turned to her, laughing at her reaction to his tease. "Lou, you were great!"

Lou dismounted. "Charlie, your idea's gonna set the world on fire!" To Kid, she said, "We won! Ah cain't believe it! We _won_!"

As Teaspoon and the others approached, Garrison snatched her hand, the one she had used to catch Myers' whip, and looked at the welt. Lou scoffed and pulled it away. "It don't hurt none."

"It will, once the excitement wears off," Garrison told her, but he glanced back at a racing official who had followed behind him. He sent a meaningful glance of warning to Kid, then proceeded to pull the bottom of Lou's silk shirt out of her pants and raised it just enough to expose the welt on her side and back. The official nodded and walked away, passing Teaspoon and the others as they approached.

The riders, except for Jimmy, thumped Lou enthusiastically and pet Katie. Lou winced once when one of them unintentionally hit her sore spot, but recovered quickly and accepted the congratulations with a grin, only raising an eyebrow in curiosity at Jimmy's mumbled, "Good job."

Teaspoon shook his head. "Ah gotta admit, though. That was the strangest style o' ridin' ah ever saw."

Lou laughed, basking in the victory. "Ah will never forget this day, as long as ah live!"

"Well, stop celebrating and get your tails over to the winner's circle. You got a cup and a purse to collect."

Lou and Kid started to leave, then turned back, Lou leading Katie.

"Aren't you comin'?" Kid asked

"Don't mind if I do, Kid," Garrison said, joining them.

Lou gave the reins to Kid, then put an arm around each of them, and they set off to collect their winnings.

When they got to the officials' stand, however, there was an unexpected delay. Lou's elation over winning was tempered by worry over the reason for the delay, but Garrison seemed unconcerned. After a few more minutes, one of the officials descended from the platform, strode out onto the track, cupped his hands, and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the official shouted. The crowd quieted to hear the announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a disqualification! For conduct unbecoming to a jockey, the second-place winner is disqualified. Jockey Benjamin Myers and his horse are disqualified! Thank you!"

Lou hit her legs with her fists and grinned from ear to ear. "This," she declared, "is the best day ah ever had in mah entire life!"

.

.

.

Back at the Sweetwater station, Garrison was standing by his livery-rented horse, ready to take his leave.

The riders, except for Lou, were gathered nearby.

"Well, boys," Garrison said, "it was nice knowing all of you. Where's Lou?"

"She'll be out in a minute," Kid promised.

The bunkhouse door opened, and Lou emerged, dressed in her fanciest dress, the blue and white one she had bought on a whim, so long ago now, it seemed. There were hoots and whistles and appreciative looks from the riders. Teaspoon just stared. She held one hand behind her back.

Quietly, to Jimmy, Teaspoon asked, "Is _that_ wot Lou looks like in a dress?"

"That's it, Teaspoon," Jimmy answered.

To himself, Teasoon murmured. "Ah'll be damned." After another second, he added, "Ah think we may have to make a change in the sleepin' arrangements..."

Garrison stared at her. "Lou – you're – you're beautiful.

Lou looked away shyly before meeting his eyes. "Ya said ya wanted to see me in a dress."

"I take it back," Garrison said. He swallowed. "My heart ain't got a prayer of mending now."

Lou looked down uncomfortably for a beat, then looked back up and held out the hand that had been behind her back. She was holding something wrapped in a cloth.

"Here, Charlie. Kid an' me want ya to have this. " She gave the bundle to Garrison, who unwrapped the cloth to expose the trophy from the race.

"Lou..." he said.

"We were all equal partners in this," she said, "an' ah know the Kid already gave ya your share of the prize money, but we both figured you should keep this."

Garrison re-wrapped the cup. "Thanks. It means a lot to me." He reached into his coat and pulled out the green jockey cap and put it on her head. "I got somethin' for you, too. Souvenir to go with your pickle-suit. It don't go too well with the dress, though."

Lou laughed, then sobered. "Ah'm gonna miss ya, Charlie."

Garrison glanced at Kid. "I got a feeling you ain't gonna miss me all that much."

"Yeah, ah will."

After a beat, Garrison said, "Well, I guess I better get going, before I miss that stage."

"Ah won't ever forget ya, Charlie."

"Don't I get a good-bye kiss?"

Lou smiled a little, and Garrison kissed her tenderly. Finally, he broke it.

"Good-bye, Lou. Louise."

He mounted up and rode off.

Quietly, Lou said, "'Bye."

Then she turned back to the other riders. "You boys mind waitin' here a few minutes while ah change mah clothes?"

Cody eyed her appreciatively. "Hell, Lou, don't mind us. We're all just one big happy family o' bunk-mates."

"How would you like a punch in the mouth?" Lou replied."

Cody backed off, hands in the air. "Take your time, Lou."

Teaspoon watched the exchange, blew out a dismissive breath, and said to himself, "On the other hand, the sleepin' arrangements appear to be under control…"

Lou entered the bunkhouse and moved to her bed, where her clothes were laid out She pulled off the jockey cap to set aside and discovered an envelope stuffed inside the cap. She looked at the envelope in puzzlement, then opened it up. It was full of bills.

Lou stared. "Charlie!" she said to herself. "Wot did you do?"

There was a note among the bills, and she pulled it out, opened it, read it:

_Dearest Louise,_

_This is my share of the winnings. Add it to your savings for that homestead you wanted. I wish you all the best. _

_-Charlie_

Lou re-read the note, letting the envelope with the money slip through her fingers and fall to the floor. "Oh, Charlie…" she murmured.

.

.

.

THE END

Author's note: The "Monkey Crouch" position in horse racing was probably introduced to formal racing by Edward "Snapper" Garrison, who rode between 1882-1887. This seat was later adopted and made famous by James Forman "Tod" Sloan in the 1890's. Charlie Garrison is my own original character. In my imaginings, Charlie does eventually find the right woman to marry, and their offspring is the "Snapper" Garrison of record. The connection between Tod Sloan and Tom Sawyer is also purely fictitious and has nothing to do with the actual Tod Sloan of record.

.


End file.
